Locomotive driving connection.



K. F. ELERS. LOGOMOTIVE DRIVING CONNECTION.

. APPLICATION IILED MAY 9, 1911. 1,056,894.

Patented Mar. 25 1913.

2 SHBETH-SHEHT 1.

' Q INVENTON ATTORNEY WITNESSES:

K. P. ELERS.

v LOCOMOTIVE DRIVING GONNEOTION.

APPLICATION FILED MAYQ, 1911.

Patented Mar. -25, 1913.

2 SHEETSSKEET 2;

Z. W F

' ENITOR I I a 1 1 I 2 M" WITNESSES: I

ATTOFiNEYi.

tor-driven locomotives capable of developing inaasaa.

. ELERS; 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNQB T0 NESTXNGROUZL ELECTRIC ANDMANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATIGN Q1 FEENQYLVAT Iii.

LOCOMOTIVE DRIVING- CONNECTION.

To all, whom 1'2 may concern Be it known that 'I', Kant. F. Ennus. a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania. have invented a new and useful Improvement in Locomotive Driving Connections, of which the following is a specification.

My invent-ion relates to railway vehicles and ithas special reference to electric .1110- large power at high speeds.

The obgect of my invention s to provide simple and relatively inexpensive driving connect-ions between electric motors of large size and substantially concentric shafts or axles.

In order to-permit the use of a yielding connection between the armature of a large electric motor and a concentric shaft or axle, it has been proposed to mount the rotating parts of the motor on a quill or sleeve, which loosely surrounds the driven axle or shaft, and to introduce a series of yielding radial connections between the ends of the sleeve or quill and wheels or gears located at the respective ends of the axle or shaft. According to my present invention, I provide a connection between these parts, which ditl'ers materially from those heretofore proposed and permits a maximumdegree of freedom 7 between the motor and the axle and, at the same time, relieves the steel springs, which comprise parts of the connection, from all more in detail the connection between a" sleeve or quill and 'a driving wheel and including a portion of an electric motor mounted on the sleeve. .Fig. 3 is a detail view illustrating a slightly modified bearing structure which may be substituted for the bearing shown in Fig. 2.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the draw- S pecification of Letters IPatent.

Application filedlliay 9,1911.

ings, a driving wheel axle 1' Serial No. 626,129.

ol' a railway' locomotive or other vehicle, having driving wheels 2, isprovided with a sleeve or quill 3 on which an electric motor, having a stator 1 and an armature on rotating part 5, is mounted. The sleeve 3 is provided with flanges 6 at its respective ends, only one of which is shown, and yielding radial connections areestablished between the sleeve and the wheel 2 at three points, as shown in Fig. 1. i

The radial connections are substantially alike and each of them comprises a substantially hemispherical block 7 which is seated in a suitable bearing 8 provided in a ledge or block?) which forms a part of the wheel 2, a rod 10 which extends through a hole 11 in the-block 7 and is connected at one end, by means of links 12, to a projection 13 of the quill flange 6. The rod or bolt 10 is enlarged at each end, a flange 14 being provided at the inner end and a washer 15 and nuts 16 being provided at the opposite end. A spring 17 and seats or guards 18 are interposed between the flange 14: and the block 9 and springs 19 and 20 and seats or guards 21 are interposed between the hemispherical block 7 and the washer 15.

The arrangement of parts is such that the springs 19 and 20 act in opposition to the springs 17 and jointlyv tend to hold the rod 10 in a predetermined position. It is evident that the rod may be swiveled in all directions by reason of the universal joint established between the parts 7 and 8 but. that any longitudinal. movement of the rod will be opposed by the springs 19 and 20. The springs 19 and 20 are the driving springs since it is possible to transmit only a pull through the short chain, which is formed by the links 12. The springs 17 are back pressure springs and cushion the recoil of the springs 20 and 21 when they are released by some sudden movement of the wheel-axle relative to the motor and quill.

By reason of the fact that the radial con-- canoe that the rods 10 are. inclined relative to the planes of the driving wheels and tend to produce this result.

The number of radial connections may be varied within the scope of my invention, and the structure of each connection may be varied in size and arrangement of parts, for example: Ball bearings may be utilized between the hemispherical block 7 and the member 9 of the wheel, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. Under these conditions, the steel balls 22 will be held in position and permitted to rotate freely in all directions by means of guide members 23 and 2 which together constitute a ball race and are substituted for the bearing member 8 of Fig. 2. I claim as my invention: 1. The combination with a shaft having driven members at its ends and a sleeve or quill loosely surrounding the shaft, of a driving member'secured to the sleeve or quill, and a series of radial connections, each comprising a ball and socket joint, a rod resiliently connected to one member of, the joint and yieldingly connected to the sleeveor quill and aback pressure spring for holding the rod in position.

2 In a railway vehicle, the combination with a driving axle having driving wheels at its respective ends and a sleeve or quill loosely surrounding the axle, of a plurality of radial connections between the ends of the sleeve and the wheels, each connection comprisingqa hall and socket joint, a yield ing connect-ion, comprising a'working pressure spring and a cushion spring between one member of the joint and the sleeve and a fixed connection between the other member 7 of the joint and the wheel.

3. In a railway vehicle, the combination with a driving axle having driving wheels 'at its respective ends and a sleeve or quill loosely surrounding the axle, of a plurality of radial connections between the ends of the sleeve and the wheels, each connection comprising a ball and socket joint, a rod normally inclined to the plane of the wheel and yieldingly connected to one member of the joint and a link connection between the rod and the sleeve, the other member of said joint being fixed to the wheel.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 97th day of April KARL F. ELERS.

hVitnesses:

Jr-mns F. CURTlS, B. B. Hmns. 

